El Pollo Loco opens in Sugar Land #ad

It’s here! It’s here! I’ve been waiting for the opening of El Pollo Loco every since I attended a pre-opening event a few months ago. Until then, I’d never tasted the food or really knew anything about the restaurant. But I did taste the food, and was won over.

The first El Pollo Loco in the Houston area is now open at 4528 Highway 6 and Austin Parkway in Sugar Land. Though that may seem like a trek for a few of you, and even for me, I know that I’m going to make it out there. Let me tell you why: Cheesecake Chimichangas. Yep, you read right. It’s cheesecake and chocolate wrapped in a deep-fried flour tortilla, and covered in powdered sugar. You have to try them. Really, you absolutely have to try them.

For those of you who don’t know anything about El Pollo Loco, their signature dish their citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken. The chicken is slow-grilled for about an hour by a Grill Master, then chopped into pieces to be sold as part of individual entrees or family meals. The meals include warm flour or corn tortillas and a choice of sides including Spanish rice, charro beans, fresh vegetables, coleslaw and mashed potatoes. I really like the chicken (based on the few times I’ve tasted it). The chicken is moist and juicy and is usually cooked to perfection. I think that the marinade adds a subtle flavor to the chicken.

I was invited to the ribbon-cutting event the week before the actual opening day. I had a chance to take a tour of the restaurant, try the food (again), and visit with others. The following quotes are from the news release:

“As a long-time resident of Sugar Land, I am delighted to have the first Houston-area El Pollo Loco here in our city and offering a new restaurant option to our residents and visitors.” said Sugar Land Councilman, Himesh Gandhi. “I would like to personally thank CEO Steve Sather, and his staff for investing in our community. We are looking forward to El Pollo Loco’s future success and growth in the Houston area.”

“As a long-time resident of Sugar Land, I am thrilled to have the first Houston-area El Pollo Loco here in our town. Your menu provides a variety of on-the-go meal options, for the thousands of residents who live and work in the surrounding area,” said Sugar Land Councilman, Himesh Gandhi. “I would like to personally thank CEO Steve Sather, and his staff for investing in our community. We are looking forward to El Pollo Loco’s future success and growth in the Houston area.”

“We are excited to introduce Houstonians to El Pollo Loco,” said Carlos Esquivel, Director of Operations, El Pollo Loco. “With multiple restaurants opening in the Houston area over the next several months, we look forward to offering additional employment opportunities to residents and identifying meaningful ways to give back to the community. We have just recently become members of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce and are pleased to have been the title sponsor for the Sugarland Skeeters 2014 playoff run.”

El Pollo Loco will open four additional Houston-area restaurants over the next several months in the following locations: